Temperature regulator



Filed Sept. 25, 1936 Jag. 16, 1940. M DORING TEMPERATURE REGULATOR INVENTOR Marzz'fl 0071/79.

WITNESSES:

' ATTCSRNEY Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES TEMPERATURE REGULATOR Martin Diiring, Dresden, Germany, assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 23, 1936, Serial No. 102,081 In Germany October 7, 1935 5 Claims.

My invention relates to temperature regulators, particularly of the adjustable-range type.

It is an object of my invention to supply a relatively simple and compact construction of a. regulator having thereon a simple efiective means for adjusting the range of said regulator, said means either being varied at the regulator itself or at any point remote therefrom.

In regulators of this type known to the prior art it is quite common for certain spaced parts thereof to become badly battered and marred due to severe impacts which result in the regulator becoming out of adjustment and due to such disfigurement of the parts thereof, it becomes difficult to readjust the regulator. It is, therefore, an object of my invention to overcome this operating diiiiculty by maintaining the co-acting parts thereof in constant contact with each other.

A further operating difliculty of those regulators common to the prior art is that they only have one means for varying their adjustment. My invention adds a second separate means of adjustment, thereby giving a wider range and a more accurate means of control.

Another advantage of my invention over the prior art is that it makes possible control over the range of temperature of operation of the regulator from any remote distance. In this way my invention makes possible the control of the temperature of an oven or furnace and also holds the temperature variations within the desired limits.

Other objects of my invention and advantages over the prior art will become evident from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are views, chiefly in elevation and partly in section, of a temperature regulator embodying my invention in two characteristic positions.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a temperature-responsive device II-I2 mechanically attached to base member I0 so that both tube II and elongated rod I2 enclosed therein are free to move in accordance with temperature variations. It will be understood that the temperature-responsive device II--I2 may be placed at the point, the temperature of which it is desired to employ as means for controlling a given device, such as switch device I4, hereinafter described.

The lower end of elongated rod I2 may be pointed and engages an intermediate point of lever 20 which is pivotally mounted on base II! by means of a stud 2I, located close to one end of the lever. Lever 20 is kept in contact with the elongated rod I2 due to the action of a spring I1, which is attached to lever 20 at the end opposite from stud 2|, and to a pin 28 in base I0.

An adjustable fulcrum, such as a screw I9, threaded through lever 20 intermediate elongated rod I2 and spring I1 is biased by the latter to contact the horizontal arm of a bell-crank lever I8 pivotally mounted intermediate the ends of intermediate lever 22 which is swingably mounted upon base I0 above lever 20 by means of stud 23, disposed near one end thereof. In order to vary or adjust the operating range or critical operating temperature of my regulator, I provide preferably a. cam or eccentric 25 rotatably mounted on base Ill above the free end of intermediate lever 22 by means of shaft 24. This shaft may be actuated manually or by remote control, electrical or otherwise, as will be understood. The force of gravity causes intermediate lever 22 to seek a lower level, this action resulting in intermediate lever 22 taking the lowest position permitted by the co-action of screw I9 and bell-crank lever I8.

It will be appreciated that the swinging vertical arm of bell-crank lever I8 may be employed for various useful purposes such as making and breaking electrical contacts, directly or indirectly. As shown, a mercury-tube type of contact maker and breaker I4 is suitably mounted on a tiltable lever structure I6 comprising an upper member pivoted on the base by pin I3 and a lower arm having a plurality of stops 30 and 3| disposed on opposite sides of the vertical arm of bell-crank lever I8. In this way swinging movement of lever I8 causes the mercury tube contact maker I4 either to occupy its closed position shown in Fig. 1 or its open position shown in Fig. 2.

In order to bias the mercury tube to the closed position of Fig. l, a spring I5 is secured to the right-hand end of lever structure I6, the other end of the spring being suitably attached to base III. To limit the position to which the mercury tube may tilt toward the right, thus insuring circuit closure through the mercury, a stop 32 is disposed in the proper location under the upper member of lever structure I6, as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 2, I have illustrated the elongated rod I2 of temperature-responsive device I I-I2 at its upper or hot position. Intermediate lever 22 is then in contact with and has been stopped in its angularly upward travel by rotatable eccentric 25. Bell-crank lever I8 has been swung in a clockwise direction, due to the intermediate lever 22 having been fixed in position after engaging eccentric 25, thereby causing lever I6 to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction about stud I3, resulting in switch I4 being actuated to its open position.

When the temperature-responsive device II- I2 is subjected to a decreased temperature, elongated rod I2 expands downwardly, also causing lever 28 to be forced down in a clockwise direction against the action of spring I! and take with it screw I9. Bell-crank lever I8 is then permitted to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as lever 22 drops in a clockwise direction, this action releasing the pressure on lever it, which then is pulled in a clockwise direction by spring l5 and is stopped in its angular motion by pin 32. The rotation of lever it thus causes the mercury tube switch I4 to occupy its closed position, as shown in Fig. 1.

In adjusting the temperature regulating device, screw 89 may be run upwardly to cause bell-crank lever l8 to force lever IE to tilt more quickly than before and accordingly cause switch I4 to operate with a shorter contracting stroke of the elongated rod l2, thus causing the switch M to open at a lower temperature of temperature-responsive device ll--l2 and its associated parts. In order to have switch l4 function at a higher temperature, screw I9 is lowered to the desired level. The temperature-responsive device Il--l2 is then required, to contract a longer distance before the lever I8 is forced into the proper position by screw l9, to cause the switch I4 to operate to its open position. It is therefore obvious that a very wide range of control is afforded by selecting the desired position of screw l9.

In the above illustrations of showing one means of adjusting the operating point of the regulator it was assumed that eccentric 25 was kept sta tionary in one of an infinite number of positions. Assuming screw I9 to be held stationary I, therefore, have additional means for regulating the range of operation of the regulator; namely, by rotating the eccentric 25 to determine the position where intermediate lever 22 is stopped in its angular movement. As shown in Fig. 2, eccentric 25 has its larger section, or that portion having the longer radius, in a downward direction, thus stopping the angular movement of lever 22 much sooner than if the smaller portion were down. With the eccentric as shown in Fig. 2 the regulator will function with a minimum movement of elongated rod l2 and intermediate lever 22 and accordingly at a much lower temperature than when the eccentric is in the extreme opposite position.

If the operator so chooses, the eccentric 25 can be permanently attached to a shaft 24 which rotates within a bearing located in base Hi. This shaft may have attached to its outward end a dial of a familiar type which could show by means of a pointer attached to said shaft the range of operation of the regulator. By rotating this dial to any desired setting the operator would rotate the eccentric 25 and therefore change the range of the regulator to that shown on said dial, as will be readily understood. o

By connecting the shaft 24, through proper gears, to a selsyn motor drive or any other similar device the regulator can be remotely controlled.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations are possible within the scope of this invention. It is therefore desired that the foregoing description and the drawing be regarded as illustrative only. No limitations therefore are intended except such as are required by the prior art or expressly recited in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a movable thermostatic member, circuit-controlling means mechanicallyconnected to said member and responsive to the movements thereof, a member being swingable about one end and having a pivotal connection with said means at a point intermediate the ends thereof, and means for limiting 5 the movements of said swingable member, said means engaging the movable end of said swingable member and said mechanical connection comprising an adjustable structure biased to act upon both said thermostatic member and said circuit-controlling means.

2. In combination with a movable thermostatic member, circuit-controlling means mechanically connected to said member and responsive to the movements thereof, a member 15 being swingable about one end and having a pivotal connection with said means at a point intermediate the ends thereof, and means for limiting the movements of said swingable member, said means engaging the'movable end of said swingable member, said means comprising an eccentric.

3. In combination with a movable thermostatic member, circuit-controlling means mechanically connected to said member and responsive to the movements thereof, a member being swingable about one end and having a pivotal connection with said means at a point intermediate the ends thereof, and means for limiting the movements of said swingable member, said means engaging the movable end of said swingable member, said means comprising a rotatable eccentric, and means for operating said rotatable eccentric. I

4. In combination with a movable thermostatic member, a movable member, a threaded member operable therein, a resilient member mechanically connected to said movable member to bias said movable member to constant mechanical connection with said thermostatic member, circuit-controlling means mechanically connected to said threaded member and being responsive to the movements of said threaded member moving in conjunction with said movable member, a swingable member having a piv- 4. otal connection with said means, and means for adjustably limiting angular movements of said swingable member.

5. In combination with a movable thermostatic member, a movable member, a threaded member operable therein, a resilient member mechanically connected to said movable member to bias said movable member to constant mechanical connection with said thermostatic member, circuit-controlling means mechanically 55 connected to said threaded member and being responsive to the movements of said threaded member moving in conjunction with said movable member, a member swingable about one end and having a pivotal connection with said means at a point intermediate the ends thereof, means for limiting the oscillatory movements of said swingable member, said means comprising a rotatable eccentric engaging the-movable end of said swingable member, a tiltable member mechanically connected to said circuit-controlling means and responsive to the movements thereof, and a tubular liquid switch mechanically connected to said rotatable member and functioning with the movements thereof. 70

MARTIN DCSRING. 

